Meijer Officially Breaks Ground on Second Store in Detroit

The site of the former Redford High School located at the corner of Grand River Avenue and McNichols Roadis being redeveloped into a “supercenter” grocery store by Meijer Inc.

The site of the former Redford High School located at the corner of Grand River Avenue and McNichols Road is being redeveloped into a “supercenter” grocery store by Meijer Inc.

The Grand Rapids-based retailer celebrated the official start of construction at its second store in the city of Detroit exactly one year after the grand opening of the first Meijer location at the historical Michigan State Fairgrounds on 8 Mile Road and Woodward Avenue.

Opened in 1921, Redford High School served the sub-communities of Old Redford, Grandmont, Rosedale Park and Brightmoor, which has become one of the most distressed neighborhoods in Detroit. Due to a decline in enrollment, Redford High School was shut down in 2007 along with 51 other public schools in the Detroit area. The school complex included six separate buildings, but each structure was built at unusual angles, isolating parts of the school. However, according to Detroiturbex.com, the 25-acre property was considered prime real estate thanks to the high median income and the densely populated area. The property was sold in fall 2011 for around $2 million to Lormax Stern Detroit Development LLC which committed to develop the site for Meijer.

Shortly after the deal was closed, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) approved brownfield tax credits worth $3.3 million that allowed Meijer to start cleaning up the property and prepare the site for construction. The abandoned high school at 21431 W Grand River was demolished one year later.

Meijer’s new, 190,000-square-foot store will cost around $30 million to build. When completed in fall 2015, the big-format “supercenter” will include a retail store, grocery space with locally sourced produce, a garden center, a full-service pharmacy and a gas station. Meijer is expected to employ up to 500 positions at the new location in northwest Detroit, but the hiring process will begin in spring 2015.